Jenrick
Member
My Model 19 arrived yesterday. I got my hands on her today and promptly took her out to the range. For some of you who saw the thread earlier, this is a NIB model 19 w/ 6" barrel from the early 90's.
When I took it out of the box and hit the cylinder release, I could defineately tell it was brand spanking un-used. The lockup was very tight, and looked perfect. Trigger was fine right out the box, and after a little CLP on the hammer and trigger, even smoother.
The finish on the weapon is just great, and the stocks look gorgeous, a far cry from the battered holster worn model 15 that got me started with S&W's.
So on to the range!
For testing I'd brought along 125gr +P Speer Gold Dots in .38, 158gr Blazer JHPs in .357 Magnum, and lastly 130gr Winchester FMJs in .38. For the record the only .357 I'd fired until today was a friends model 19 w/ a 2.5" barrel. It was shootable, but not the most pleasant thing in the world.
4" of barrel make all the difference. Out of my 6" barrel the Blazer had a large flash, and a smart recoil impluse, but mostly a shove to the rear, not a sharp kick like I had experience previously. It was defineately louder and sharper then the .38's but not unpleasently so. The Gold Dot's came next, they had less recoil then the .357 and slightly less of a flash, very controlable and comfortable. Lastly the WWB .38's seemed almost underpowered, with an anemic amount of recoil, low flash, and a puff of smoke.
Accuracy was good, and I know the weapon is far more accurate then I can shoot it. I averaged 3" groups DA at 7 yds in semi slow fire, with 6-8" groups SA at 25yds in semi slow fire.
It's defineatly going to take some breaking in. Handling and shooting my model 15 gave me an appreciation for just how smooth S&W's can get. I know it'll just be a matter of time before my model 19 gets the same way
Overall I had an absolute blast. The model 19 with a 6" barrel proved to be an extremely fine weapon. Also I had the joy of getting to fire off the first round it's life, which is always a kick for me.
-Jenrick
When I took it out of the box and hit the cylinder release, I could defineately tell it was brand spanking un-used. The lockup was very tight, and looked perfect. Trigger was fine right out the box, and after a little CLP on the hammer and trigger, even smoother.
The finish on the weapon is just great, and the stocks look gorgeous, a far cry from the battered holster worn model 15 that got me started with S&W's.
So on to the range!
For testing I'd brought along 125gr +P Speer Gold Dots in .38, 158gr Blazer JHPs in .357 Magnum, and lastly 130gr Winchester FMJs in .38. For the record the only .357 I'd fired until today was a friends model 19 w/ a 2.5" barrel. It was shootable, but not the most pleasant thing in the world.
4" of barrel make all the difference. Out of my 6" barrel the Blazer had a large flash, and a smart recoil impluse, but mostly a shove to the rear, not a sharp kick like I had experience previously. It was defineately louder and sharper then the .38's but not unpleasently so. The Gold Dot's came next, they had less recoil then the .357 and slightly less of a flash, very controlable and comfortable. Lastly the WWB .38's seemed almost underpowered, with an anemic amount of recoil, low flash, and a puff of smoke.
Accuracy was good, and I know the weapon is far more accurate then I can shoot it. I averaged 3" groups DA at 7 yds in semi slow fire, with 6-8" groups SA at 25yds in semi slow fire.
It's defineatly going to take some breaking in. Handling and shooting my model 15 gave me an appreciation for just how smooth S&W's can get. I know it'll just be a matter of time before my model 19 gets the same way
Overall I had an absolute blast. The model 19 with a 6" barrel proved to be an extremely fine weapon. Also I had the joy of getting to fire off the first round it's life, which is always a kick for me.
-Jenrick
